HealthRaySeeker

Several sources state that vitamin D production peaks at 297 nm, and disappears by 315 nm. However, burning also greatly increases from 315 nm towards 297 nm. Some researchers claim from their measurements that the ratio of vitamin D production to burn speed is highest around 308 nm, since VD production is still half what it is at 297 nm, whereas the burn rate at 308 is less than 1/5 what it is at 297 nm. I read that the strongest burning occurs around 290 nm and shorter. The atmosphere blocks rays below 290 nm, though many lizard lights have rays down to 270 nm.


I can't find any place that sells a 308 nm light, which uses xenon chloride. However, the 311 nanometer lights are much more common, sold many places, but require prescriptions. They can be found by googling "narrowspectrum uvb", or maybe it was "narrow band uvb".


So, my question:

Should we try to incorporate more energy in the 306-312 nm range into our tanning beds and try to filter out more of the rays that are under 300 nm? Or is it better to just stick to copying the sun's spectrum?



I also read that as vitamin D builds up in the skin, shorter wavelength uvb starts to break it down, preventing too much build up, and that this is in addition to the skin somehow switching from making vitamin D to making pink melanin once enough vitamin D has been made.

luvabean

i really wish that one of our experts answered this for you...
as i have the same question.
not only are those narrow band uvb units expensive, they are very small and require you to hold them in your hand, focusing on a specific area on your body for 5-10 minutes.
how tedious. i know that they are very beneficial for folks who suffer from psoriasis and vitiligo...
alas, i am searching for lamps/bulbs that help usher in more vitamin d production and am havin' a ******* time discerning what's best.
right now, i am using a low pressure system with genesis 120v lamps. being fair skinned myself, i go 5 mins a day every other day.
i am wondering if there is a better, affordable bulb out there for uvb specific applications.
the genesis bulbs are .8
i've seen some cosmolux bulbs at 1.2 and higher.
i am not sure if bigger is better....
and am still trying to find out what exactly these percentages mean.
any help out there?

luvabean

how weird, that asterisked word was not a curse word? ah well. i do not want the community thinking i am on the forum cursing my brains out or anything...
haha
sheesh.
namaste~

TanRights

Hi Luvabean,

If you want to provide tanning services commercially, you are limited in the choice of lamps to what is allowed by regulations. In the USA it is quite possible to provide good vitamin D tanning within the rules, but you can forget about lamps with any output below 311 nm.

I have made an quite extensive page about UV and vitamin D on my blog, The Tanning Blog. There are too much information to post here but if you scroll towards the end of that page, you will find some examples of specifications from lamp-suppliers.

Here is link: http://www.thetanningguru.com/secrets-of-uv-light-for-healthy-tanning

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House of Tan

This guy has a great site for those who do not already know of it.

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Startbucks

luvabean

hey thanks so much tanrights!
i have bookmarked this blog...ohmygosh whatta basket of info! i really appreciate this community and all the pertinent info available through it's caring users <3 big hugs ;}

ronpaul

tanning rights at the end of your blog post you mention combining Uvb with red and blue lights. how is that working for you?

TanRights

ronpaul, we still have to find the best combination. The challenge is that in order to get optimum skin-enhancing effects of the red and blue wavelengths, you need at least 15 minutes exposure time. This means that the UVB can't be too strong. The problem we have had so far is however to have enough UVB within the vitamin D action spectra. I am now waiting for the third version from the manufacturer and I really hope we will have found the right balance this time.

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ronpaul

tanrights, I read your blog and I am also want to use UVB with Red and blue light for health in my personal home bed. Will be waiting to hear from your third version results. What brand of lamp do you reccomend for a good Vitamin D spectra?

TanRights

Hi ronpaul,

You can actually get a similar effect (except for the blue light) already now if you exchange every other UV-lamp in your tanning bed with red-light therapy lamps. I do that myself in my home tanning canapé. Actually there I use 6 red light lamps in the middle with 3 UV-lamps with 3.3% UVB (according to the European scale, which is approximately 6.5-7 % according to the North-American) on each side of the red lamps.

This combination gives a nice tan and enough vitamin D with three sessions of 20 minutes on each side per week, at least for my skin-type 2 with a permanent base-tan.

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